Williamsburg Bridge

The Williamsburg Bridge is a suspension bridge in New York City. It goes between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. The bridge opened on December 19, 1903. It is free to cross.

Williamsburg Bridge
Coordinates	40°42′47″N 73°58′12″W
Carries	8 lanes of roadway, 2 tracks of the New York City Subway, pedestrians, and bicycles
Crosses	East River
Locale	Manhattan and Brooklyn, in New York City
Maintained by	New York City Department of Transportation
Characteristics
Design	Suspension bridge and truss causeways
Total length	7,308 feet (2,227 m)
Width	118 feet (36 m)
Longest span	1,600 feet (490 m)
Clearance above	10 feet 6 inches (3.2 m) (inner roadways only)
Clearance below	135 feet (41 m) at mean high water
History
Architect	Henry Hornbostel
Designer	Leffert L. Buck
Opened	December 19, 1903; 122 years ago (December 19, 1903)
Statistics
Daily traffic	106,783 (2008)[1]
Toll	Free
Location

History

Video of the opening of the Williamsburg Bridge in 1903

The bridge was built starting in 1896. It cost $24,200,000.^[2][3] Until 1924, it was the world's longest suspension bridge.

The bridge has been rebuilt since the 1980s. It was closed in 1988 after cracks were found on the bridge.^[4] A bicycle lane was also built on the bridge.^[5]

In 2003, the bridge turned 100 years old. On June 22, 2003, people held a party on the bridge to celebrate the bridge's age.^[6] In 2009, the bridge was made a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.^[7]

Train tracks

The bridge carries subway tracks of the BMT Nassau Street Line. In the early 20th century it also had trolley tracks.^[8]